In honor of 50 years of coeducation, the school welcomed back over 250 alumae for a spring gala celebrating the contributions of girls and women to our community. The weekend kicked off on Friday, May 2, with a premiere of a documentary about coeducation at the school. Throughout the weekend, alumae participated in panel discussions, attended athletic games and the Tremaine Gallery opening, listened to Calliope and Bluenotes, and dined at Fairfield Farm.
Ms. Robin Chandler ’87, communications project manager and coordinator of the student steering committee, has been organizing the celebration of coeducation since April 2023. She said, “Celebrating 50 years of coeducation allowed us to take a deep look into our history. so that we all could better understand the transformation that has shaped the school over the past five decades. Coeducation marked a turning point in our academic and cultural identity. The celebration affirmed our commitment to DEI while honoring the women who led the way—many of whom had to overcome exclusion and resistance.”
The weekend opened with a premiere of the documentary 50 Years of Coeducation in Walker Auditorium. The film shed light on Maria Bissell Hotchkiss’ involvement in founding the school as a single-sex feeder school for Yale University in 1892.
The school quickly became well- known for its strong academics and by the early 1970s, the Board of Trustees began discussing the possibility of coeducation. Head of School Mr. Bill Olsen officially announced the school’s decision to open its doors to girls in 1971.
The documentary did not shy away from addressing the hardships girls faced after arriving on campus in the fall of 1974. Ms. Chandler said, “It candidly explores some of the more painful chapters in Hotchkiss’s history, including gender-based restrictions, discriminatory treatment, sexual abuse, and an institutional culture that, at times, failed to protect and uplift female students.” The documentary ended by relfecting on the present day and how far the school has come. A panel discussion with Tina Test ’76, Deirdre Lord ’85, Sameena Shahid Groves ’97, Dana Brisbane ’08, and Grace Hazelton ’19 followed the screening. Serena Nam ’26, co-head of Bluestockings and co- host of the panel, said, “The panel allowed members of the community to learn about women’s experiences, understand what challenges remain constant for female students, and see how the community has grown in the inclusion and treatment of women over the past few decades.”
The weekend continued with Saturday lunch accompanied by performances from Calliope, Bluenotes, and MB140. Nam, co- head of Calliope, said, “We selected ‘Uptown Girl’ and ‘What a Wonderful World’—upbeat songs that are fitting for the positive, uplifting celebration of coeducation.”
